On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah

On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah, a podcast presented by ReformJudaism.org.
Each week, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union For Reform Judaism, will offer divrei Torah (insights into the weekly Torah portion) to help open up Jewish thought and its contemporary influence on your life. He condenses 2,000 years of Jewish wisdom into just 10 minutes of modern-day commentary.
There are plenty of ways to interpret Torah and we want to hear what you think. You can weigh in on this week’s Torah portion by talking to us on Twitter @URJ or at Facebook.com/reformjudaism.

Sexual harassment and assault is an issue that dates all the way back to biblical times. For example, in Parashat Vayishlach, Dinah is assaulted by Shechem. In this episode ofOn the Other Hand,Rabbi Jacobs discusses the question: How can we use these texts to guide us toward healing, and a promise to do better?

Parashat Vayeitzei tells the story of Jacob’s journey. But it’s more than just the story of a journey: it’s the story of a refugee and in a world with more than 60 million refugees, this story is as important as ever. In this episode of On the Other Hand, Rabbi Jacobs talks of our responsibility as Jews to welcome refugees.

In Parshat Tol’dot, we read about the birth of twins Jacob and Esau. It’s one of the Torah’s more famous stories, and it has an important message about choosing one’s path in life. Listen to this week’s episode of On the Other Hand to hear what Rabbi Jacobs thinks Jacob and Esau can teach us today, and what they have in common with Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In Parashat ChayeiSarah, which discusses the death of Sarah, one of the first things we learn is where and when she dies. This piece of information may seem small, but it actually tells us quite a bit about Sarah. Rabbi Rick Jacobs explains why, in this episode of On the Other Hand.